Swimming trunks



H. SPACK SWIMMING TRUNKS Dec. 6, 1949 s sheets-sheet 1 Filed July 2, 1946 w w m W i IN V EN TOR.

Dec. 6, 1949 H. sPAcK SWIMMING TRUNKS Filed July 2, .194e s sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. o wat #ook Dec. 6, 1949 H. sPAcK 2,490,556 l SWIMMING TRUNKS Filed Jul'y 2, 1946 3 sheets-sheet 5 TTOFUVEYS Patented Dec. 6, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT oFF-ICE 2,490,556 SWIMMING TRUNKs HarryrvSpack, NewYork, N. Y. ApplieationJuly 2, 1946, serial No. 681,053

s claims.

- This invention relates'v to apparel and more lparticularly to swimming ltrunks, ,it being one objectwof the invention to provide trunks having .associated with them a bladder adaptedtobeing inilated with air and sthusvimpart buoyancy Yto the trunks so` that a person wearing the trunks fand'unableto swim will'be supported in water and` thus allowed to kenjoy water bathing and swimming without danger of drowning.

Another object of the invention is to provide improvedbathing trunks wherein the inflatable Abladder is mounted in pockets formed as a porlbathing trunks having associated `with them inatable supporting means consisting of bags connected by a neck from which an inating tube extends, the bags being disposed within internal pockets carried by the trunks4 and connected vby a throat which passes through the neck between upper ends of the pockets. It will thus be seen `thatwhen the trunks are worn and the bladder inated the bags of the bladder will be disposed at opposite sides of the trunks and very eiectively support a person in the water.

Another object of the invention is to provide swimming trunks which are particularly adapted -for use by wounded soldiers and others who have lost one or both legs by amputation since the bladder and the pockets in which it is mounted are so formed that the bladder may be readily 1 removed when deated and thus the bladder 'and the trunks themselves permitted to be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized before being again used.

Another object of the invention is to provide the trunks with a compartment or pocket in which the inflating tube may be stored when not in use and thus prevented from being liable to be caught and torn and also prevented from interfering with proper swimming movements.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein A' Figure 1 is a View looking at the front of the 'improved swimming trunks; y Figure 2 is a rear view of the improved trunks, a portion being broken away in order to show a yportion of the pocket in which the bladder is mounted;

Figure 3 is a view showing the improved trunks turned inside out, .portions being in sections;

Figure 4 is a Iview, of the bladder;

y yFigure 5 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view taken along the line 5 5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a perspective View taken along the line 6*-6 of Figure 3; y y

Figure 7 is a View showing the trunks turned inside out and folded; and Figure 8 isa fragmentary sectional perspective View taken along the line 8-8 of Figure 1.

The improved swimming trunks constituting the subject matter of this invention has a body portion indicated in general by the numeral I and ,formed of sections sewed together by seams 2, 3 and 4 at the sides and iront and back of the garment, the seams 3 and 4 extending through the crotch portion of the trunks and meeting at the inner leg seam 5. The short ieg extensions of the trunks are formed with herns 6 about their lower edges and at its top there has beenformed a hem or waistband l through which an elastic waistband 8 and drawstring or tape 9 pass. Ends of the tape or drawstring project outwardly so that they may be tightened and formed into a boWknot and thus cause the trunks to be well supported when Worn.

The subfabric has portions I0 having side extensions or arms II at their upper ends which are sewed to each other by a seam I2 and sewed along their margin to the inner surface of the front portion of the trunks, the portions I5 forming pockets connected at their upper ends by a neck formed by the portions II and extending transversely of the front portion of the trunks just below the waistband 1. At their upper ends, portions of the pockets I0 and their side arms Il which form the neck connecting the pockets are left free and formed with hem I3 against 'the inner face of which are sewed elastic strip I4 carrying snap fastener member I5 by means .of which entrance openings I6 for upper ends of the pockets are held closed. A pocket I1 which extendstransversely or circumferentially of the body of the trunks is sewed into the garment between the upper portion of one pocket a' t and the part of the body, this pocket being opened Valong the top so that access may be had to the same through the opening I6 under which it is located. A snap fastener member I 8 which is .companion to the snap fastener member I5 is sewed to the pocket I'I and when these snap fastener members I5 and I8 are engaged with each other the upper end of the pocket in which the bag or end portion 24 is located will be held closed and the bag supported at a point midway 5 its length. Near the vbottom of the pocket -is formed an opening I9 having its edges hemmed, as shown in Figure 6, so that it will not tear or ravel. In front of the other bag there has been provided a pocket 20 in which locker checks or identification tags or the like may be placed by a person wearing the trunks and in order to close this pocket there has been provided a flap 2i secured in a closed position by a button 22.

In order to impart buoyancy to the trunks, there has been provided a bladder 23 which may be formed of latex or other suitable material capable of being sterilized without deteriorating. This bladder has large end portions 24 which conform to the shape of the pocket ID and are connected by a tubular portion 25 extended between inner or forward sides o upper ends of the end portions 2G. Since the bladder is formed .of pliable plastics it may be plugged into the bag or pocket Il) in iront o which the pocket 20 is located and then thrust through the neck Il so that the two end portions 24 will be located within the pockets It and the tube 25 passed through the neck li. An inrflating tube 2B which is also formed of latex has one end connected with the bladder by a conventional form of Vjoint 21. This tube is passed outwardly through the opening I9 into the pocket I'l and is of such length that when the trunks are worn and the tubesl drawn upwardly out of the pocket Il the nipple-28 at the outer end of the tube may be placedr'between a persons lips and air blown through the tube to innate the bladder. The air which is forced through the tube into the bladder inates the entire bladder and imparts such buoyancy tothe trunks that a person wearing the trunks cannot sink in water. In view of the fact that the bags or enlarged end portions 24 of the bladder are located at opposite sides of the trunks they will cause buoyancy to be imparted'at suchppoints that a person wearing the trunks'will be well supported at opposite sides and held in proper position for swimming. A tape 29 isV formed at one end with an opening 30 through which the nipple passes to rmly hold the tapeV in engagement with the nipple. A threaded plug 3| is rotatably mounted through the free end portion of the tape and about this plug yis'disposed a washer 32 so that when the plug is screwed into the internally threaded nipple 28 a tightV closure will be formed and'air prevented from leaking outwardly through the tube. After the bladder has been inflated, the tube is folded and tucked into the pocket I1 where it will be out of the way.

When the bladder is inated by airblown in wardly through the tube 26 the two bags-.or end portions 24 and the tubular neck 25 VIconnecting them will Iall be inflated and it has been found that when a person is swimming and turns on one side the air will have a tendency toflowfrom the lower bag or end portion24 through the neck or tube 25 into the upper bag or end portion. This Iwill cause the bladder to be unevenly inflated and when a swimmer turns from a position on one side to aposition for swimming with a breast stroke the unevenly inflated bladder will tend to tilt the person towards one side instead of the swimmer being evenly supported at opposite sides. In order to prevent this there has been provided a tab 33 formed of fabric and disposed vertically midway the width of the trunks. The tab extends along the front seam 4 and at its upper end is secured by stitching 34. Within the tab is provided packing 35 which causes the tab to bulge toward the body portion ofthe trunks, and from an inspection of Figure it willbe seen that when the tab 33 is disposed in a depending position close against the body portion of the trunks `and its lower end secured by the companion snap fastener members 36 and 3l, pressure will be applied vertically across the tube 25 midway the length thereof and air prevented from flowing through this tube or neck from one end portion 2li oi the bladder to the other end portion. The bladder will therefore at all times be evenly iniiated at all points and a person wearing the trunks will be supported in a balanced manner.

When the improved trunks are in use they are put on in the usual manner and secured about a persons waist by the elastic band 8 and the drawstrings 9. The tube 25 is withdrawn from the pocket Il and air blown through the nipple 28 until the bladder has been sufficiently inflated. A person wearing the trunks may then swim without danger of drowning. Of course, if the trunks are being worn by a person having one or both legs amputated the attendant in charge will inflate the bladder and then tuck the tube into the pocket il before assisting the amputee into the water. The shape of the bladder and the disposition of this enlarged end portion or bags 2li Ywill cause the person wearing the trunks to be evenly supported and prevented from being tilted to a position in which swimming will be diicult. If a person wearing the trunks wishes to use the same merely as a safety suit or life preserver the bladder need not be inflated. If, however, such a person is swimming along the seashore ,and isv carried outwardly by a strong current and finds that he is becoming exhausted and can not remain afloat until a rescue boat reaches him he can Withdraw the tube 25 from the pocket l1, blow air through the tube into the bladder to inflate it, and then screw the plug 3l into the nipple 23 to seal the outer end of the tube and retain air in the bladder. The bladder will thus be inflated and impart buoyancy to support the swimmer until he is reached by a rescue boat. Drownings due to a person being carriedA away from shore bya strong sea current will thus be avoided.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Swimming trunks having a body andleg openings, a sheet of fabric disposed against the inner surface of the front portion of the body and sewed along its marginal edges to the body, the sheet of fabric being shaped to define pockets extending vertically along opposite side portions of the body and a tubular throat extending horizontally across the front portion of the body and connecting front corners of upper ends ofthe pockets, the pockets being open at their upper ends, and the throat being open` at its ends, a bladder having end bags tting within the pocketsV and a tubular neck connecting upper ends of the bags and passing longitudinally through the throat, a tab carried by said body and adapted to be secured across the neck ofV the bladder and compress the same to prevent nowof air through the neck, there being a second'pocket mounted in the upper end portion of one of the rst pockets, a tube extending from said bladder and into the last mentioned pocket through an opening near the bottom thereof and being of a length adapting it to extend outwardly an appreciable distance from the trunks, and reach the mouth of a person wearing the trunks, a nipple at the outer end of said inating tube, a tab mounted aboutsaid nipple and a plug for closing the nipple. carried by said tab. n

2. Bathing trunks comprising a body having leg openings and a waistband, an internal pocket carried by said body and having deep end portions at opposite sides of the body and a neck connecting the end portions and extending transversely of the body across the iront thereof, there being an opening along the neck and means for releasably holding the opening closed, a bladder removably tted into the pocket through the said opening and having large end portions forming bags disposed in the deep end portions of the pocket and a tube extending through the neck of the pocket and establishing communication between upper ends o the large end portions of the bladder, a fastener adapted to be releasably secured across the neck and apply pressure to the tube and prevent iiow of air through the tube, a second pocket mounted in the upper end portion of one end of the i'irst pocket, an elongated infiating tube extending from said bladder through an opening in the bottom of the second pocket and of a length adapting it to extend outwardly and upwardly from the trunks a suiiicient distance to reach the mouth of a person wearing the trunks, whereby a person wearing the trunks may inilate the bladder by blowing air through the iniiating tube, and a removable closure for the outer end of the inlating tube, the infiating tube being exible whereby it may be folded and tucked into the second pocket, and means for securing the second pocket closed and holding the folded tube therein.

3. Swimming trunks comprising a body having leg openings and a waistband, the body being provided with a pocket having deep end portions at opposite sides of the body and a neck connecting the saine and extending across the front portion of the body under the waistband, a bladder tting into the pocket and conforming to the contour thereof, a fastener adapted to be releasably secured across the neck and apply sealing pressure to the portion of the bladder extending through the neck, and an inlating tube extending from the bladder out of the pocket and of a length permitting iniiation of the bladder by air blown through the tube by a person wearing the trunks.

4. Swimming trunks comprising a body having leg openings and a waistband, the body being provided with a pocket having end portions located adjacent opposite sides of the body and a neck connecting its end portions and extending across the front of the body below the waistband, a bladder having end portions fitting into the end portions of the pocket and a throat connecting its end portions and passing through the neck of the pocket extending across the front of the body, a tab secured at one end below the neck and being foidable upwardly across the neck and having a fastener at its free end for releasably securing the tab in its raised position across the neck for applying sealing pressure to the neck, and means for inflating said bladder.

5. Swimming trunks comprising a body having leg openings, the body being provided with a pocket having end portions at sides of the body and a neck connecting its end portions, a bladder in the pocket having end portions constituting bags located within the end portions of the pocket and a tubular portion connecting the bags and extending through the neck of the pocket, means for iniiating the bladder communicating with one bag thereof, a tab carried by said body externally oi the front thereof and extending vertically and attached at its upper end, said tab being padded to provide a portion projecting towards the body, and means for releasably securing the lower end of the tab against the body with the padded portion of the tab applying pressure across the neck of the pocket to shut off flow of air from one bag of the bladder to the other.

6. Swimming trunks having a body and leg openings and a waistband, the body having a pocket having end portions at opposite sides of the body and an intermediate portion extending across the front of the body under the waistband, a bladder in the pocket insertable and removable through an opening in the pocket and having end portions lling the end portions of the pocket and an intermediate portion extending through the intermediate portion of the pocket, means for inlating the bladder, a tab carried by the body and movable in to and out of position across the intermediate portion of the pocket, and means for releasably securing the tab in position across the intermediate portion of pocket to compress the portion of the bladder passing through the said intermediate portion of the pocket and preventing flow of air between end portions of the bladder.

HARRY SPACK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,504,011 Anderson et al Aug. 5, 1924 1,505,766 Combs Aug. 16, 1924 1,580,439 Meilland Aug. 13, 1926 1,731,695 Wright Oct. 15, 1929 

